Well, there was a time when everyone in FR supported Bush, and thought he was fighting for our country. There was even a time, during his first term in office, when he was thought to be conservative.
It did make a kind of sense to take on Iraq first before tackling the Saudis. Secure the oil first. But, as you say, that was evidently never Bush’s real intention.
I was also hoping that if we conquered Arabia, we could split the country in two: One country with the oil, the other with the Holy Cities. Leaving one of the richest countries in the world also basically in charge of Islam is not healthy for the rest of us.
But Bush proved to be a disappointment, as you say.
That was never going to happen because this country never had a problem with radical Islam in the Middle East ... as long as those radical Muslims were investing heavily in U.S. political leaders.